For 2025, Companies Stress Payroll Technology and Shortage of Payroll Talent, According to CloudPay Survey

Key Data Points:

53% of respondents say they value technology over personnel, compared to 47% who cited personnel instead
72% of organizations report a payroll talent shortage
More than 40% of respondents say they are facing significant challenges with their payroll technology
94% say disconnected systems and solutions are a challenge

For 2025, Companies Stress Payroll Technology and Shortage of Payroll Talent, According to CloudPay Survey

Media
Ann Warren
ClearEdge
770-328-8384
awarren@meetclearedge.com

Payroll technology is valued slightly more than human expertise, yet companies face significant challenges with both, according to new research from CloudPay. Fifty-three percent (53%) of respondents value technology over personnel, compared to 47% who cited personnel as having more value. A new CloudPay report, The Tech-Talent Equilibrium in Payroll, reveals how the right balance of technology and human talent can position payroll as a strategic business advantage.

“We will continue to see a push and pull between the value businesses place on technology and payroll expertise – it’s all about finding the right balance between the two,” said Grant Tasker, CloudPay Senior Director, Global Payroll. “Our customers tell us they’re looking for highly skilled talent who have the payroll expertise to pick up where technology leaves off. There is room to welcome both new technology and new talent to maximize efficiency, accuracy, and global compliance.”

Technology Shortcomings

More than 40% of respondents report they have significant challenges with their payroll technology, despite nearly two-thirds of respondents (63%) who consider payroll technology very important.
The increasing number of systems that need to be integrated and configured has introduced new complexities and challenges. 94% say disconnected systems and solutions are a challenge.
40% say keeping solutions up to date and connected is a significant hurdle.
Only 65% are satisfied with data reporting capabilities and only 67% said they were at least somewhat satisfied with their payroll and HCM integration.

Skills Shortage Experienced By Almost All

94% of respondents say lack of expertise within their payroll workforce is at least somewhat of a challenge, with more than one-third (38%) reporting it’s a significant challenge.
77% of respondents working for very large organizations said they are feeling the effects of the talent gap, compared to 67% at small to mid sized firms.
The top expectations of payroll talent are compliance knowledge (30%), technology skills and experience (14%), and management and analytical skills are tied at 13% each.

4 in 10 Report Compliance as a Significant Challenge

40% say adhering to global compliance demands is a significant challenge.
76% recognize that payroll technology, when properly configured, can have a significant impact on maintaining compliance.
78% say payroll personnel have a significant impact on maintaining compliance.

About the Survey

The Tech-Talent Equilibrium in Payroll report shares insights from 500 senior decision-makers across payroll, finance, and HR in multinational companies with multi-country payroll operations. To learn more, read the full report here: https://www.cloudpay.com/resources/reports-guides/tech-talent-equilibrium/

About CloudPay

CloudPay is focused on a single purpose – to deliver industry-leading solutions spanning payroll, payments, and pay on-demand. We provide truly global payroll—digitized, automated, and unified—on one cloud-based platform. With a proud heritage of 25+ years, we serve over 2,000 companies globally in 130+ countries, handling $24bn+ of payments in 110+ currencies. CloudPay’s high-performance solutions empower payroll teams to pay their global workforce with outstanding accuracy and minimal risk, more efficiently than ever before. We add the industry’s most supportive and knowledgeable payroll experts to create a class-leading fully managed service. Together, that’s High-Performance Payroll, from CloudPay. To learn more, visit: www.cloudpay.com.